“I welcome the agreement that nominations to the positions of First Minister and deputy First Minister are to take place today which will allow the Northern Ireland Executive to continue its essential work on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland to the end of its mandate next year.
The package of language and identity legislation agreed in New Decade New Approach was detailed and balanced and should be implemented – as should all the commitments in NDNA. This would be better done in the Assembly as agreed last year but it is welcome that the Secretary of State has given an assurance these positive measures agreed in support of linguistic diversity and cultural expression in Northern Ireland are now to be put in place through legislation in Westminster if necessary.
We look forward to working with the First and deputy First Minister, and all the parties in the Northern Ireland Executive, to the mutual benefit of people North and South, including at the next plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council which is planned for Friday in Armagh.”
ENDS
Press Office
17 June 2021
